Computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein game program, game processing method, game system, and information processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Current position information of an information processing apparatus is acquired by using a positional information acquiring section, and a distance, in a real space, between a current position and a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in the real space is calculated. Then, a predetermined process based on the calculated distance is executed when a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range of a player satisfies a first condition according to the calculated distance.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-134361, filed onJul. 6, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The exemplary embodiment relates to game processing executed by smartdevices each including a positional information acquiring section, andmore particularly to game processing utilizing positional information.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Conventionally, game apparatuses using positional information have beenknown. For example, there has been known a game in which, for example, aplayer moves in the real world, and when the route of the movementsatisfies a predetermined condition or when the player approaches aspecific position (destination), a privilege is given to the player.

In the game using the positional information as described above, theplayer himself/herself needs to satisfy the predetermined condition bymoving in the real world. That is, the game is premised on that theplayer himself/herself moves in the real world.

Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiment to provide a newgame program etc. using positional information in the real world, whichenables a player to enjoy the game even if the player himself/herselfdoes not move in the real world.

In order to attain the feature described above, the followingconfiguration examples are exemplified.

A configuration example is directed to a computer-readablenon-transitory storage medium having stored therein a game programexecuted by a computer of an information processing apparatus includinga positional information acquiring section, and the game program causesthe computer to operate as a current position acquiring section, adistance calculating section, and a process executing section. Thecurrent position acquiring section is configured to acquire, by usingthe positional information acquiring section, current positioninformation indicating a current position of the information processingapparatus. The distance calculating section is configured to calculate adistance, in a real space, between a target position that is a positioncorresponding to a predetermined position in the real space, and acurrent position indicated by the current position information acquiredby the current position acquiring section. The process executing sectionis configured to execute a predetermined process based on the calculateddistance. When a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range ofa player satisfies a first condition according to the calculateddistance, the process executing section executes a predetermined processbased on the calculated distance. The computer-readable storage mediumas used herein includes a magnetic medium such as a flash memory, a ROM,or a RAM, or an optical medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or aDVD-RAM.

According to the above configuration example, it is possible to providea new game using positional information in the real world, inparticular, the distance between the two points.

In another configuration example, the process executing section mayinclude a parameter-adaptive distance calculating section configured tocalculate a distance according to the parameter value indicating thevirtual movement range of the player. The process executing section maydetermine that the first condition is satisfied, when the distancecalculated by the distance calculating section is equal to or less thanthe distance according to the parameter value. Alternatively, theprocess executing section may determine whether or not the parametervalue is larger than a value according to the calculated distance, anddetermine that the first condition is satisfied, when the parametervalue is larger than the value according to the calculated distance.

According to the above configuration example, it is possible to executegame processing in which a parameter indicating the action of theplayer, such as a stamina value of the player, a fuel value, or the likeis associated with the distance from the current position to the targetposition, whereby amusement of the game can be enhanced.

In another configuration example, when the process executing section hasexecuted the predetermined process based on the calculated distance, theprocess executing section may subtract a value according to the distancefrom the parameter value indicating the virtual movement range of theplayer.

According to the above configuration example, amusement of the game canbe enhanced.

In another configuration example, the game program may cause thecomputer to further operate as a parameter value increasing sectionconfigured to increase the parameter value indicating the virtualmovement range of the player by satisfying a second condition. Inaddition, an upper-limit value may be set for the parameter valueindicating the virtual movement range of the player.

According to the above configuration example, amusement of the game canbe enhanced by, for example, increasing the parameter value by utilizinga charging item, or increasing the parameter value by taking a level-upelement of the player into the game and raising the level thereof.Alternatively, amusement of the game can also be enhanced by setting anupper-limit value for the parameter value.

In another configuration example, the game program may cause thecomputer to further operate as a positional relationship presentingscreen display section configured to display a positional relationshipbetween the current position and the target position on a screen of theinformation processing apparatus so that the player can visuallyrecognize the positional relationship. Further, the positionalrelationship presenting screen display section may display a virtualmap, and may display a screen in which a first object is displayed at aposition, on the virtual map, corresponding to the current position, anda second object is displayed at a position, on the virtual map,corresponding to the target position. Moreover, there may be a pluralityof the target positions, and the game program may further cause thecomputer to operate as a specification input receiving sectionconfigured to receive an input that specifies any of the second objectscorresponding to the plurality of the target positions.

According to the above configuration example, it is possible to presentthe positional relationship between the current position and the targetposition to the player in an easily understandable manner. Further, whenthere are a plurality of the target positions, it is possible to causethe player to specify any of the target positions, whereby convenienceof the player and amusement of the game can be enhanced.

In another configuration example, the positional relationship presentingscreen display section may display, among the second objects, a secondobject that satisfies a predetermined condition and a second object thatdoes not satisfy the predetermined condition in different display modes.

According to the above configuration example, convenience of the playercan be further enhanced, and amusement of the game can be furtherenhanced.

In another configuration example, the target position may be changedaccording to a predetermined condition. For example, the target positionmay be changed according to the lapse of time, or the target positionmay be moved according to the lapse of time so that the second objectmoves on the virtual map according to the lapse of time.

According to the above configuration example, even when the playerhimself/herself scarcely moves, opportunities of execution of thepredetermined process based on the calculated distance can be increased,whereby amusement of the game can be further enhanced.

In another configuration example, the information processing apparatusmay be a smart device.

According to the above configuration example, it is possible to provide,to the player, a new way to enjoy the game, that is, actually moving onfoot in the real world, whereby amusement of the game can be furtherenhanced.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a newgame using positional information in the real world.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the whole image of a game systemthat is a non-limiting example of an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a non-limiting example of thestructure of a smart device 102;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a non-limiting example of thestructure of a server 101;

FIG. 4 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to theembodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to theembodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a non-limiting example of a game screen according to theembodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a non-limiting example of a program and information storedin a main memory 123 of the server 101;

FIG. 8 shows a non-limiting example of the structure of a player database 302;

FIG. 9 shows a non-limiting example of the structure of animal objectdata 304;

FIG. 10 shows a non-limiting example of a program and information storedin a main memory 113 of the smart device 102;

FIG. 11 shows a non-limiting example of the structure of acapability-to-visit table 404;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a home screen process according to theembodiment in detail;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a map screen process of step S5 in FIG.12 in detail;

FIG. 14 shows an operation at content switching at step S24 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a visit representation process of stepS28 in FIG. 13 in detail;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an animal object moving process accordingto the embodiment in detail;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a fuel increasing process according tothe embodiment in detail;

FIG. 18 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 19 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 20 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 21 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 22 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 23 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object;

FIG. 24 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object; and

FIG. 25 shows another example of a process to determine whether or not aplayer object can go to see an animal object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF NON-LIMITING EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the whole image of a game systemaccording to an embodiment. The game system 100 according to theembodiment includes a server 101, and a plurality of hand-held smartdevices 102 (hereinafter simply referred to as “smart devices”) whichare a non-limiting example of information processing apparatus. Eachsmart device 102 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or the like.The server 101 and the smart devices 102 are configured to becommunicable with each other via the Internet. In this embodiment, it isassumed that a communication service among the smart devices is providedin the above configuration. An application for implementing thecommunication service is installed in each smart device 102. Each smartdevice 102 transmits/receives predetermined data to/from another smartdevice via the server 101, thereby providing the communication serviceto the user of the smart device 102.

Next, the hardware configuration in the above-described system will bedescribed. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the smart device 102.In FIG. 2, the smart device 102 includes a processor section 111, aninternal storage device 112, a main memory 113, a communication section114, an operation section 115, a display section 116, and a positionalinformation acquiring section 117. The processor section 111 executeslater-described information processing, and executes a system program(not shown) for controlling the overall operation of the smart device102, thereby controlling the operation of the smart device 102. Theprocessor section 111 may be equipped with a single processor or aplurality of processors. The internal storage device 112 stores thereinvarious programs to be executed by the processor section 111, andvarious kinds of data to be used in the programs. The internal storagedevice 112 is, for example, a flash EEPROM or a hard disk device. Themain memory 113 temporarily stores therein computer programs andinformation. The communication section 114 is connected to an network bywired or wireless communication, and transmits/receives predetermineddata to/from the server 101. The operation section 115 is, for example,an input device for receiving an operation performed by a user. Thedisplay section 116 is typically a liquid crystal display unit. Inprocessing according to the present embodiment, a touch panel integratedwith a liquid crystal screen is assumed as the operation section 115 andthe display section 116. In another embodiment, a predetermined pointingdevice other than a touch panel may be used as the operation section115. The positional information acquiring section 117 is, for example, aGPS receiver, and is able to acquire information (e.g., latitude andlongitude) indicating the current position thereof.

Next, the structure of the server 101 will be described. FIG. 3 is afunctional block diagram of the server 101. The server 101 includes atleast a processor section 121, an internal storage device 122, a mainmemory 123, and a communication section 124. The processor section 121executes various programs for controlling the server 101. The internalstorage device 122 stores therein various programs to be executed by theprocessor section 121, and various kinds of data to be used in theprograms. The main memory 123 temporarily stores therein computerprograms and information. The communication section 124 is connected tothe network by wired or wireless communication, and transmits/receivespredetermined data to/from the smart devices 102 and other servers (notshown).

Next, the outline of operation of information processing according tothe present embodiment will be described. First, the outline ofoperation of a game assumed in the present embodiment will be described.In the present embodiment, a game utilizing positional information isassumed. The current position of a smart device is reflected in theposition of a player object in a virtual game world. A predeterminedposition in the real world is set as a “target position”, and the targetposition is reflected in the virtual game world (this target position ismanaged by the server 101, and is appropriately set by the server 101).When the player moves the player object to the target position in thevirtual game world, the player can get a predetermined item, forexample. Thus, the game assumed in the present embodiment is a game inwhich the player moves the player object to various target positions tocollect items.

The outline of the game assumed in the present embodiment will bedescribed more specifically by using examples of screens. In this game,animal objects exist in addition to the player object, and the positionof each animal object corresponds to the target position. The playermakes the player object go to see these animal objects and get itemsfrom the animal objects. The distance between the current position ofthe smart device in the real world and the position, in the real world,corresponding to the target position is reflected in the distancebetween the player object and the animal object in the virtual gameworld. Therefore, for example, when the player who carries the smartdevice approaches the target position in the real world, the distancebetween the player object and the animal object can be shortened in thevirtual game world. In the following description, a “current position”and a “target position” each mean a position in the real world, and a“position of an animal object” means a position in the virtual gameworld (position corresponding to a target position).

FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen of this game, which is so-called“home screen”. Basically, after the game is started up, such a homescreen is displayed first. FIG. 4 shows a scene in which a player object201 is present in his/her room. In this game, the player makes theplayer object 201 “go out” of his/her room to see the animal objectsdescribed above. In a lower portion of the screen, a footer region 202including a plurality of button images 203A to 203D is displayed. In anupper portion of the screen, a header region 204 is displayed. Theheader region 204 will be described later.

When the player taps, for example, the button image 203B on the homescreen, the screen is switched to a screen as shown in FIG. 5(hereinafter referred to as “map screen”). This map screen is a screenfor performing an instruction to make the player object go to see ananimal object. In FIG. 5, a header region 204 and a footer region 202similar to those described above are displayed in the upper portion andthe lower portion of the screen, respectively. A field object simulatingthe Japanese islands is displayed in a region, between the header andfooter regions 204 and 202, which occupies a major part of the screen.On the field object, a player symbol 211 (corresponding to the playerobject 201) and a plurality of animal symbols 212A and 212B(respectively corresponding to the animal objects) are displayed(hereinafter, the animal symbols 212A and 212B may be collectivelyreferred to as “animal symbol 212”). This map screen can beenlarged/reduced by, for example, pinch-out/pinch-in operation, oroperation of an enlargement/reduction button displayed in an upper rightportion of the screen. The map screen can also be enlarged bydouble-tapping an arbitrary point on the map. Further, slide operationenables scroll of the screen (movement of a virtual camera that iscapturing the field object and the like).

The position of the player symbol 211 immediately after switching to themap screen corresponds to the current position of the player (smartdevice 102) in the real world. Likewise, the position of the animalsymbol corresponds to a predetermined position in the real world, thatis, the target position described above. That is, the distancerelationship between the current position and the target position in thereal world is reflected in the distance relationship between the playersymbol 211 and each animal symbol 212. In this game, by selecting any ofthe animal symbols 212, the player can make the player object 201 go tosee the animal object corresponding to the animal symbol 212.

In this game, when the player object 201 goes to see the animal objectin the game world, the player object 201 moves by a virtual “car(object)”. A virtual parameter called “fuel” is set in this “car”.Depending on the value of the fuel (hereinafter referred to as “fuelvalue”), the distance in which the “car” can move is determined. Inother words, the fuel value can be regarded as a parameter valueindicating the virtual movement range, movement distance, movementperformance, or movement ability of the player object 201 (moreprecisely, this parameter can be regarded as a parameter indicating theplayer's activity, activity range, activity performance, movable range,movable distance, stamina, or the like). Therefore, the player object201 cannot go to see the animal symbol 212 far distant from the positionof the player symbol 211 because of shortage of the fuel value. In FIG.5, two types of animal symbols, i.e., the animal symbols 212A and 212B,are shown. That is, the animal objects that the player object 201 can goto see and the animal objects that the player object 201 cannot go tosee because of shortage of the fuel value, are distinguishinglydisplayed by making the display modes thereof different from each other.Specifically, each animal symbol 212B is obtained by gray-out display ofan animal symbol 212A, and represents an animal object that the playerobject 201 cannot go to see because of shortage of the fuel value.Therefore, on the screen of FIG. 5, by selecting any of the animalsymbols 212A, the player can make the player object 201 go to see theanimal object corresponding to the selected animal symbol 212A. Morespecifically, when the player taps any of the animal symbols 212A, amessage inquiring whether or not to go see the corresponding animalobject is displayed (at this time, the required fuel value is alsodisplayed). In response to the inquiry, when the player inputs aninstruction to make the player object 201 go to see the correspondinganimal object, a scene in which a car moves toward the selected animalsymbol is displayed on the map screen, and thereafter, the screen isswitched to a screen as shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows a scene in whichthe player object 201 receives an item from an animal object 205.Thereafter, returning to the map screen, a scene in which the playerobject 201 returns to the current position of the player by the car isdisplayed. Along with such representation, a fuel value according to thedistance between the player symbol 211 and the animal symbol, that is,the distance between the current position and the target position(movement distance), is subtracted (consumed). In other words, in thisgame, in order to perform a process (e.g., receiving an item from ananimal) based on the distance relationship in the real world, theparameter value called the fuel value needs to satisfy a predeterminedcondition (having fuel according to the distance between the currentposition and the target position).

The fuel value will be described in more detail. In FIG. 4 to FIG. 6,the header region 204 is displayed in the upper portion of the screen.In the header region 204, a fuel meter 207 and the number-of-jewels 208are displayed. The fuel meter 207 is a horizontally-long bar-shapedmeter for indicating the current fuel value. At the right end of thefuel meter 207, the current fuel value is numerically indicated. In theexample of FIG. 6, the current fuel value is 75. In this game, the fuelvalue recovers according to the lapse of time. For example, the fuelvalue recovers by 1 every three minutes. An upper-limit value is set forthe fuel value. For example, assuming that the upper-limit value is 100,the fuel value does not exceed 100 even with the lapse of time. Theupper-limit value can be raised when a predetermined condition issatisfied. For example, if a “level” or a “rank” of the player is set,the upper-limit value of the fuel value can be raised by so-called“level up” or “rank up”. The greater the upper-limit value is, the morethe movable distance increases.

Further, in this game, the fuel value can be immediately increased(recovered) by using a predetermined item. Specifically, in this game,the player can purchase an item called “jewel” by using currency (realmoney) in the real world. Hereinafter, an item that the player canpurchase by using currency in the real world is called a “chargingitem”. The number-of-jewels 208 indicates the number of jewels currentlypossessed by the player is displayed. By using the jewels, the playercan immediately increase the fuel value by a value equivalent to the setupper-limit value. For example, it is assumed that the upper-limit valueof the fuel value is 100, and the current fuel value is 30. In thiscase, the fuel value can be increased to 130 by using the jewels. Thatis, the fuel value can temporarily exceed the set upper-limit value (atthis time, the fuel meter 207 may display, for example, “100+”indicating that the player has the fuel value exceeding the upper-limitvalue). Alternatively, for example, increase in the fuel value may belimited to the upper-limit value. In this case, assuming that theupper-limit value of the fuel value is 100 and the current fuel value is30, the fuel value can be increased by 70 by using the jewels. Further,for example, an upper limit may be set for the fuel value that can beincreased by one jewel. For example, the fuel value that can beincreased by one jewel may be 50. This upper-limit value may have somelatitude, and the fuel value may be increased by a random value withinthis range. For example, the fuel value that can be increased by onejewel may be a random value within the range of 45 to 55 (i.e., therange of ±5 with respect to 50).

Further, in this game, the position of each animal object is not fixedbut variable. That is, each animal object is allowed to move in thefield object shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, for example, even when thecurrent position of the player is not changed (the playerhimself/herself does not move), an animal object that the player objectcould go to see it an hour ago has moved to some distant place an hourlater, so that the player object cannot go to see it (and vice versa).More specifically, the server 101 performs a process to change theposition of each animal object, i.e., the target position, atpredetermined time intervals (e.g., at intervals of 30 minutes), therebyto represent a state in which the animal object is moving. In order torepresent the state in which each animal object is moving around, it ispreferable not to change the target position largely at one time. Forexample, the range in which the target position is changed at one timemay be limited to some extent.

Regarding movement of the animal objects, in another embodiment, themovement may be controlled within a predetermined range of the fieldobject. For example, the animal objects may be moved within the regionof each prefecture, or within the region of each country. Alternatively,in the field object, the animal objects may be moved within a region ofa “land”. A destination may be set for each animal object and the animalobject may be moved to the destination, or no particular destination maybe set and the animal object may be moved at random. When performingcontrol to set the destinations of the respective animal objects, thecontrol may be performed so as to prevent the animal objects from beingunevenly located. For example, when performing control to move an animalA from a point X to a point Y, another animal B existing outside thepoint X may be moved to the point X.

Regarding the animal objects, in addition to the movement (positionalchange) thereof described above, a new animal object may be caused toappear.

In the present embodiment, the positions of the animal objects (on themap screen) are common to users (that is, the positional information ofthe animal objects is collectively managed by the server 101). However,in another embodiment, movement control or the like may be performed sothat the positions of the animal objects vary from player to player.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in executing a processbased on the distance between two points in the real world, the processis executed when a parameter such as the fuel value described abovesatisfies a predetermined condition relating to the distance. In otherwords, in executing a predetermined process (item acquisition process,etc.) according to the target position, when the parameter (fuel value)satisfies a predetermined condition according to the distance from thecurrent position to the target position, the predetermined process isexecuted. In addition, the process according to the target position isexecuted even when the player does not actually move to the targetposition (the player can progress the game more advantageously byactually moving to the target position, whereby amusement of the gamecan be further enhanced). Thus, it is possible to provide a new gameusing positional information in the real world, particularly, thedistance between two points.

The player can also increase the fuel value immediately by utilizing thecharging items such as jewels described above. For example, when theplayer wants to make the player object go to see an animal object, theplayer may actually move to make the player object go to see the animalobject with less fuel value, but such movement takes time and labor. Inthis case, by utilizing the charging items such as jewels, actualmovement of the player can be dispensed with, whereby convenience of theplayer can be enhanced.

Regarding the position of each animal object (target position), theposition is not fixed but is changed with the lapse of time. Thus, evenwhen the player himself/herself does not actually move (even when themovement range of the player is small), it is possible to increase theopportunities for the player to make the player object go to see variousanimal objects, whereby amusement of the game can be enhanced.

Next, the operation of the game processing according to the presentembodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to17. In the following description, various processes not directly relatedto the process of making the player object 201 go to see the animalobject 205 will not be described in detail.

FIG. 7 shows non-limiting examples of a program and data stored in themain memory 123 of the server 101. The main memory 123 stores therein aserver-side game program 301, a player data base 302, animal object data304, etc.

The server-side game program 301 is a program for causing the server 101to operate as a game server in the game processing according to thepresent embodiment. Specifically, the server-side game program 301 is aprogram for executing process steps of flowcharts shown in FIGS. 16 and17.

The player data base 302 is a data base that includes informationrelating to players of this game. In this game, each player performsplayer registration to the server 101 before the game is started. Afterthe player registration, when the game processing is started in thesmart device 102, a log-in process using a player ID and the likedescribed later is performed, thereby enabling the player to play thegame as described above.

FIG. 8 shows a non-limiting example of the structure of the player database 302. In FIG. 8, the player data base 302 includes entries such asplayer ID 311, fuel value data 312, belonging data 313, etc. The playerID 311 is an ID for uniquely identifying each player. The fuel valuedata 312 is data indicating the current value and the upper-limit valueof the above-described fuel value (in FIG. 8, the fuel value data 312 isrepresented in the form of “current value/upper-limit value”). Thebelonging data 313 is data indicating items possessed by the player.

The player data base 302 also includes, in addition to the entriesdescribed above, data of password used by each player for the log-inprocess, and data indicating a nickname, the current level, the numberof possessed jewels, etc. of the player.

Referring back to FIG. 7, the animal object data 304 is data formanaging the animal objects 205 (including the animal symbols 212) asdescribed above. FIG. 9 shows the structure of the animal object data304. The animal object data 304 is table data composed of object ID 321,existence position 322, possession item 323, etc. The object ID 321 isan ID for uniquely identifying each animal object. The existenceposition 322 is data indicating the position corresponding to the animalobject (in the real world), and is also data indicating the targetposition described above. The existence position 322 is appropriatelyset by the server 101, and the content thereof is appropriately changedaccording to the lapse of time as described above. The possession item323 indicates items possessed by the corresponding animal object, and isdata of items to be collected by the player in this game.

Next, a program and data stored in the smart device 102 will bedescribed. FIG. 10 shows non-limiting examples of a program and datastored in the main memory 113 of the smart device 102. The main memory113 stores therein a terminal-side game program 401, operation data 402,current position data 403, a capability-to-visit table 404, object modeldata 405, etc.

The terminal-side game program 401 is a program for executing the gameprocessing according to the present embodiment in the smart device 102.Specifically, the terminal-side game program 401 is a program forexecuting process steps in flowcharts shown in FIGS. 12 to 15.

The operation data 402 is data indicating the contents of variousoperations performed to the operation section 115. In the presentembodiment, the operation data 402 includes: data indicating whetherthere is an input to the touch panel as the operation section 115; dataindicating touch coordinates; data indicating whether the variousbuttons (not shown) are in pressed states; and the like.

The current position data 403 is data indicating the current position ofthe smart device 102, which is acquired by the positional informationacquiring section 117. In the present embodiment, during execution ofthe game processing, the current position data 403 is automaticallyacquired (updated) from the positional information acquiring section 117at predetermined time intervals.

The capability-to-visit table 404 is data indicating whether or not theplayer object can go to see each of the animal objects described above.In other words, the capability-to-visit table 404 is data indicatingwhether or not the distance from the current position to the position ofeach animal object (target position) is equal to or less than themovable distance based on the current fuel value. FIG. 11 shows anon-limiting example of the structure of the capability-to-visit table404. In FIG. 11, the capability-to-visit table 404 is composed of objectID 411, existence position 412, and capability-to-visit flag 413. Theobject ID 411 is an ID for identifying each animal object (basically,the object ID 411 has the same content as the object ID 321 in theanimal object data described above). The existence position 412 ispositional information indicating the current position of thecorresponding animal object (i.e., the target position). Thecapability-to-visit flag 413 is a flag indicating whether or not thedistance from the current position to the position of the animal object(i.e., the target position) is equal to or less than the movabledistance according to the current fuel value. The capability-to-visitflag 413 being ON indicates that the distance is equal to or less thanthe movable distance (i.e., the player object can go to see the animalobject). The object ID 411 and the existence position 412 are updated onthe basis of the content of the animal object data that is acquired fromthe server 101 at predetermined time intervals. Whether thecapability-to-visit flag 413 is to be ON or OFF is determined on thebasis of the updated object ID 411 and existence position 412.

Referring back to FIG. 10, the object model data 405 is model data ofvarious objects displayed in this game, such as the player object 201,the animal object 205, and the like.

Next, the flow of the game processing according to the presentembodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIGS. 12to 17. For convenience in the description, not the case of resuming thegame play from interruption thereof but the case of starting the gameprocessing from the beginning will be described.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a home screen process executed by thesmart device 102. In the smart device 102, when a command for startingthe game of the present embodiment is received, the home screen processis executed after a predetermined log-in process (not shown). In FIG.12, first, in step S1, the processor section 111 of the smart device 102acquires, from the server 101, various data indicating the current stateof the player, such as the current fuel value, the current level of theplayer, etc.

Next, in step S2, the processor section 111 of the smart device 102performs, for example, a process of reflecting the acquired current fuelvalue in the display of the fuel meter 207, thereby generating anddisplaying the home screen as described above.

Next, in step S3, the processor section 111 of the smart device 102acquires the operation data 402. Next, in step S4, the processor section111 of the smart device 102 determines, on the basis of the operationdata 402, whether or not an operation to instruct display of the mapscreen has been made. When the result of the determination is that theoperation has been made, the processor section 111 advances to a mapscreen process in step S5. Otherwise, the processor section 111 of thesmart device 102 executes, as appropriate, another game processing basedon the content of operation in step S6. For example, if the player isexecuting the process of purchasing a jewel described above, theprocessor section 111 executes, in cooperation with the server 101, theprocess relating to purchase of a jewel. When an instruction toimmediately increase the fuel value by using a jewel has been made, theprocessor section 111 executes, in cooperation with the server 101 (byexchanging predetermined data), a process of updating the content of thefuel value data 312. Thereafter, the processor section 111 returns tothe process in step S1 and repeats the above-described process steps.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the map screen process in step S5 indetail. In FIG. 13, first in step S21, the processor section 111 of thesmart device 102 acquires the fuel value data 312 from the player database 302 of the server 101. In the subsequent step S22, the processorsection 111 acquires the animal object data 304 from the server 101, andupdates the content of the capability-to-visit table 404 on the basis ofthe animal object data 304. That is, the processor section 111 executesthe process of updating the object ID 411 and the existence position 412on the basis of the content of the acquired animal object data 304, anddetermining and setting the content of the capability-to-visit flag 413on the basis of the updated contents of the object ID 411 and theexistence position 412. Specifically, regarding an animal object thathas not yet been registered in the capability-to-visit table 404, theprocess of adding the object ID 411 and the existence position 412thereof to the capability-to-visit table 404 is performed. Regarding analready registered animal object, the process of updating the existenceposition 412 thereof is performed as appropriate. Regarding the contentof the animal object data 304 acquired from the server 101, in order toreduce the data communication amount, the animal object data 304 to beacquired may be limited to the data within a predetermined range of themap described above (e.g., within a range in units of countries orprefectures, or a predetermined range from the position of the playerobject 201). Setting of the capability-to-visit flag 413 will bedescribed later.

Next, in step S23, the processor section 111 acquires the currentposition data 223. Next, in step S24, the processor section 111 executesa distance determination process. The distance determination process isa process of determining, for each animal object, whether or not theplayer object having the current fuel value can go to see the animalobject.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the distance determination process indetail. First, in step S31, the processor section 111 calculates themovable distance from the current position on the basis of the currentfuel value acquired from the server 101 in step S21. Next, in step S32,with reference to the capability-to-visit table 404, the processorsection 111 selects one animal object to be subjected to the followingprocess (that is, one animal object that has not yet been subjected tothe following process). Hereinafter, this object is referred to as anobject to be processed.

Next, in step S33, on the basis of the current position of the smartdevice 102 and the existence position 412 of the object to be processed,the processor section 111 calculates, as a required distance, the directdistance between them. Next, in step S34, the processor section 111determines whether or not the calculated required distance is equal toor less than the above-described movable distance. When the result ofthe determination is that the required distance is equal to or less thanthe movable distance (YES in step S34), the processor section 111, instep S35, turns on the capability-to-visit flag 413 relating to theobject to be processed. On the other hand, when the required distance isnot equal to or less than the movable distance (NO in step S34), theprocessor section 111, in step S36, turns off the capability-to-visitflag 413 relating to the object to be processed.

Next, in step S37, the processor section 111, with reference to thecapability-to-visit table 404, determines whether or not any animalobject that has not yet been subjected to the processes in steps S32 toS36 still remains. When the result of the determination is that such ananimal object still remains (YES in step S37), the processor section 111returns to step S32, selects a next object to be processed, and subjectsthe selected object to the process steps as described above. On theother hand, when such an animal object does not remain (NO in step S37),the distance determination process is ended.

Regarding the processes in steps S31 to S34, in another embodiment, therequired distance may be converted into the fuel value to calculate a“required fuel value”, and whether or not the current fuel value is morethan the “required fuel value” may be determined.

Referring back to FIG. 13, next in step S25, the processor section 111generates and displays a map screen in which the results of theprocesses described above are reflected. Specifically, the processorsection 111 locates the player symbol 211 at a position corresponding tothe current position of the smart device on the field object. Inaddition, the processor section 111, on the basis of thecapability-to-visit table 404, appropriately locates the animal symbolscorresponding to the respective animal objects on the field object. Atthis time, as for the animal symbols whose capability-to-visit flags 413are OFF, these animal symbols are set to be displayed in a gray-outmanner. Then, the processor section 111 generates a map screen based onthese contents, and displays the map screen on the screen. As theresult, for example, an image as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on thescreen.

Next, in step S26, the processor section 111 acquires the operation data402. Next, in step S27, the processor section 111, on the basis of theoperation data 402, determines whether or not an operation (e.g.,tapping operation) to select any one of the animal symbols 212 on themap screen has been performed. When the result of the determination isthat any of the animal symbols 212 has been selected (YES in step S27),a visit representation process is executed in step S28. On the otherhand, when none of the animal symbols 212 has been selected (NO in stepS27), another game processing is executed as appropriate in step S29.For example, when an instruction to return to the home screen has beenmade, the map screen process is ended to start the home screen process.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the visit representation process indetail. First, in step S51, the processor section 111 determines whetheror not the distance from the current position to the positioncorresponding to the selected animal symbol 212 (i.e., the targetposition) is equal to or less than the movable distance. Specifically,the processor section 111 determines whether or not thecapability-to-visit flag 413 of the animal object corresponding to theselected animal symbol 212 is ON. When the result of the determinationis that the capability-to-visit flag 413 is OFF (NO in step S51), theprocessor section 111, in step S59, displays a message indicating, forexample, that the player object cannot go to see the animal objectcorresponding to the selected animal symbol 212, and the fuel valuerequired if the player object goes to see the animal object, and endsthe visit representation process.

On the other hand, when the capability-to-visit flag 413 is ON (YES instep S51), the processor section 111, in step S52, displays a messageinquiring whether or not the player object will go to see the animalobject corresponding to the selected animal symbol 212.

Next, in step S53, the processor section 111 acquires the operation data402. In the subsequent step S54, the processor section 111, on the basisof the operation data 402, determines whether or not an instructionindicating that the player object will go to see the animal object hasbeen inputted in response to the above inquiry. When the result of thedetermination is that such an instruction has been inputted (YES in stepS54), the processor section 111, in step S55, displays a representationin which a car object is caused to travel toward the selected animalsymbol 212. Subsequently, in step S56, the processor section 111generates and displays a “visiting screen” as shown in FIG. 6, anddisplays a representation in which the player object 201 receives anitem from the animal object 205. Further, in step S57, the processorsection 111 transmits, to the server 101, an instruction requestingaddition of data of this item to the belonging data 313. In response tothis request, the server 101 executes a process of adding the data ofthe item to the belonging data 313. Regarding addition of such itemdata, for example, the number of times the player object can get itemsmay be limited such that the player object can get an item once a dayfrom one animal object. Regarding an animal symbol from which the playerobject has already got an item and therefore cannot get an item anymore,the display manner of this animal symbol may be changed when beingdisplayed on the map screen so that the player can recognize the animalsymbol.

Next, in step S58, the processor section 111 displays the map screenagain, and displays a representation in which the player object returnsto the current position by the car. Then, the processor section 111 endsthe visit representation process.

On the other hand, as the result of the determination in step S54, whenan instruction indicating that the player object will not go to see theanimal object has been inputted (NO in step S54), the processes in stepsS55 to S58 described above are not performed and the visitrepresentation process is ended.

This is the end of the description of the smart device side gameprocessing.

Next, processes relating to the present embodiment among processes to beperformed in the server 101 will be described. Specifically, in theserver 101, a process of causing each animal object to move, that is, aprocess of changing the target position in accordance with the lapse oftime, is performed. In addition, a process of increasing (recovering)the fuel value of each player in accordance with the lapse of time orthe like is also performed.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the process of causing each animal objectto move in detail. First, in step S71, the processor section 121 of theserver 101 determines whether or not a predetermined specific time haselapsed from the last updating of the target position. When the resultof the determination is that the predetermined time has not yet elapsed(NO in step S71), this determination is repeated until the predeterminedtime elapses. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed(YES in step S71), the processor section 121 of the server 101, in stepS72, calculates a new position of each animal object. Any calculationmethod may be adopted. In the present embodiment, the new position iscalculated so as not to be very distant from the current position. Forexample, assuming that the predetermined time is 30 minutes, the newposition is calculated within a radius of 1 km from the currentexistence position. Regarding the size of this range (radius), differentvalues may be used for different animal objects. For example, an animalobject modeled after a fast-moving animal may have the range wider thanthe ranges of the other animal objects.

In another embodiment, as a process of causing each animal object tomove, a process of setting a specific destination and causing the animalobject toward the destination may be executed.

Next, in step S73, the processor section 121 of the server 101 updatesthe existence position 322 of each animal object on the basis of the newposition calculated as described above. Then, the processor section 121returns to step S71, and repeats the process steps. This is the end ofthe description of the process for causing each animal object to move.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a process of increasing the fuel value ofthe player. First, in step S81, the processor section 121 of the server101 determines whether or not an instruction to add a fuel value byutilizing the jewel (charging item) described above has been receivedfrom the smart device 102. When the result of the determination is thatsuch an instruction has been received (YES in step S81), data relatingto the player who has transmitted this instruction is selected from theplayer data base 302 in step S82. Next, in step S83, the processorsection 121 of the server 101 adds a predetermined value according tothe used item to the current fuel value of the player (this addition maycause the current fuel value to temporarily exceed the upper-limitvalue). Then, the processing is advanced to the next step S84.

On the other hand, when the result of the determination in step S81 isthat an instruction to add a fuel value is not received (NO in stepS81), the processes in steps S82 to S83 are skipped.

Next, the processor section 121 of the server 101 executes a processrelating to recovery of the fuel value with the lapse of time.Specifically, in step S84, the processor section 121 of the server 101executes a process of extracting, from the player data base 302, data ofplayers for which a predetermined specific time has elapsed from thelast recovery, at present time. Next, in step S85, the processor section121 selects one piece of player data to be processed from among theextracted player data. Next, in step S86, the processor section 121 ofthe server 101 determines whether or not the current fuel value of theplayer to be processed is equal to or more than the upper-limit value.When the result of the determination is that the current fuel value isnot equal to or more than the upper-limit value (NO in step S86), theprocessor section 121 of the server 101, in step S87, adds 1 to thecurrent fuel value. When the current fuel value is equal to or more thanthe upper-limit value (YES in step S86), the process in step S87 isskipped.

Next, in step S88, the processor section 121 of the server 101determines whether or not all the extracted player data have beensubjected to the processes in steps S85 to S87. If some of the extractedplayer data remain unprocessed (NO in step S88), the processor section121 returns to step S85 and repeats the process steps. When all theextracted player data have been processed (YES in step S88), the processof increasing the fuel value is ended.

This is the end of the description of the game processing according tothe present embodiment.

As described above, in the game processing according to the presentembodiment, when the distance between the current position of the player(smart device 102) and the target position is equal to or less than themovable distance calculated from the fuel value, the player can make theplayer object go to see the animal object (virtually) existing at thetarget position. In addition, by using the charging item such as a jeweldescribed above, the fuel value, which is basically recovered with lapseof time, can be immediately increased. Therefore, even when the playercannot make the player object go to see the animal object because ofshortage of the fuel value, the player can make the player object go tosee the animal object by absolving actual movement of the playerhimself/herself, or by temporarily increasing the fuel value to a valueexceeding the upper-limit value, whereby convenience of the player canbe enhanced. In addition, the position of each animal object (targetposition) is changed according to the lapse of time. Thus, it ispossible to increase the opportunities for the player to make the playerobject go to see various animal objects, thereby enhancing amusement ofthe game.

Modifications

Regarding determination as to whether or not the player object can go tosee the animal object, this determination may be performed by thefollowing process. In the above example, the determination is performedon the basis of the distance between the two points. However, in theexample described below, the determination is performed using a “range”.The determination using a “range” as described below is “lenient”,compared with the determination based on the distance between the twopoints (between the positional coordinates), whereby the degree ofdifficulty of the game is adjusted to further enhance amusement of thegame (that is, difficulty of the game is adjusted by providing some“latitude” or “allowance” to the positional coordinates indicating acertain point).

FIG. 18 shows the principle of another example of the process ofdetermining whether or not the player object can go to see an animalobject. In this example, first, a movable range 503 around a currentposition 501 is calculated on the basis of the fuel value at that time.Then, whether or not a target position 502 exists within the movablerange 503 is determined. As for a target position within the range 503,it is determined that the player object “can go to see” an animal objectat this target position.

FIG. 19 shows another example. In this example, first, a predeterminedrange 504 around a current position 501 is calculated. Thispredetermined range is a predetermined fixed range. Hereinafter, thisrange is referred to as a fixed range 504. Next, a movable range 503based on the fuel value is calculated. Then, whether or not a targetposition 502 exists in either of the ranges is determined. In thisexample, even when the fuel value is small, that is, even when, in FIG.19, the circle of the movable range 503 is smaller than the circle ofthe fixed range 504 or there is almost no movable range 503, a targetposition existing within the fixed range 504 is determined so that theplayer object “can go to see” an animal object at the target position.It is preferable that this fixed range is not very large in terms ofallowing the current position to have some “latitude”.

FIG. 20 shows still another example. In this example, a movable range503 around a current position 501 is calculated on the basis of the fuelvalue. In addition, a fixed range 504 around a target position 502 iscalculated. Then, whether or not there is an overlapped portion betweenthe two ranges is determined. When there is such an overlapped portion,it is determined that the player object “can go to see” the animalobject.

FIG. 21 shows still another example. In this example, a fixed range 504Aaround a current position 501 and a fixed range 504B around a targetposition 502 are calculated. Further, a movable range 503 around thecurrent position 501 is calculated on the basis of the fuel value. Then,whether or not the fixed range 504B overlaps with any of the fixed range504A and the movable range 503 is determined.

FIGS. 22 to 25 each show still another example. These examples aresimilar to the examples shown in FIGS. 18 to 21 except that therelationship between the current position 501 and the target position502 is inverted. That is, in the example of FIG. 22, a movable range 503is set on the target position 502 side. Also in the example of FIG. 23,a fixed range 504 and a movable range 503 are set on the target position502 side. In any example, whether or not a current position 501 existswithin any of the ranges is determined. In the example of FIG. 24, amovable range 503 is set on the target position 502 side while a fixedrange 504 is set on the current position 501 side. In the example ofFIG. 25, a fixed range 504A and a movable range 503 are set on thetarget position 502 side while a fixed range 504B is set on the currentposition 501 side. In any example, whether or not there is an overlappedportion between the ranges is determined.

Regarding the distance determination process described above, in theabove example, this process is executed mainly on the smart device side.However, the distance determination process may be performed on theserver 101 side, and data indicating the result of the determination maybe transmitted to the smart device 102. Then, in the smart device 102,the map screen may be generated and displayed on the basis of the dataindicating the result of the determination. The server 101 side may be aserver system composed of a plurality of information processingapparatuses, and the process to be executed on the server side may bedivided and executed by the plurality of information processingapparatuses.

In the embodiment described above, an example of a game in which aplayer object goes to see an animal object to get an item from theanimal object, has been described. However, the game may be configuredas follows. For example, a player can get a “material” by progressing agame play other than “going to see an animal”. Then, the player makes aplayer object go to see an animal object to exchange the “material” foran “item”. This item is preferably an item that can be obtained only byexchanging with the “material”. This configuration further enhancesamusement of the game.

In the above embodiment, the information indicating the target positionis acquired from the game server 101. However, in another embodiment,setting, updating, and the like of the target position may be performedas processes on the smart device 102 side without using the game server101.

1. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a game program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus, the game program causing the computer to provide operation comprising: a positional information acquisition configured to acquire positional information; a current position acquisition configured to acquire, by using the acquired positional information, current position information indicating a current position of the information processing apparatus; a distance calculation configured to calculate a distance, in a real space, between a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in the real space, and a current position indicated by the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition; and a process execution configured to execute a predetermined process based on the calculated distance, wherein when a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range of a player satisfies a first condition according to the calculated distance, the process execution executes a predetermined process based on the calculated distance.
 2. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the process execution includes a parameter-adaptive distance calculation configured to calculate a distance according to the parameter value indicating the virtual movement range of the player, and determines that the first condition is satisfied, when the distance calculated by the distance calculation is equal to or less than the distance according to the parameter value.
 3. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the process execution determines whether or not the parameter value is larger than a value according to the calculated distance, and determines that the first condition is satisfied, when the parameter value is larger than the value according to the calculated distance.
 4. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein when the process execution has executed the predetermined process based on the calculated distance, the process execution subtracts a value according to the distance from the parameter value indicating the virtual movement range of the player.
 5. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the game program causes the computer to provide further operation including a parameter value increase configured to increase the parameter value indicating the virtual movement range of the player by satisfying a second condition.
 6. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein an upper-limit value is set for the parameter value indicating the virtual movement range of the player.
 7. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the game program causes the computer to provide further operation including a positional relationship presenting screen display configured to display a positional relationship between the current position and the target position on a screen of the information processing apparatus so that the player can visually recognize the positional relationship.
 8. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 7, wherein the positional relationship presenting screen display displays a virtual map, and further displays a screen in which a first object is displayed at a position, on the virtual map, corresponding to the current position, and a second object is displayed at a position, on the virtual map, corresponding to the target position.
 9. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 8, wherein there are a plurality of the target positions, and the game program causes the computer to provide further operation including a specification input receipt configured to receive an input that specifies any of the second objects corresponding to the plurality of the target positions.
 10. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 9, wherein the positional relationship presenting screen display displays, among the second objects, a second object that satisfies a predetermined condition and a second object that does not satisfy the predetermined condition among the second objects in different display modes.
 11. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the target position is changed according to a predetermined condition.
 12. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 11, wherein the target position is changed according to a lapse of time.
 13. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 11, wherein the target position is moved according to a lapse of time so that the second object moves on the virtual map according to the lapse of time.
 14. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a smart device.
 15. A game processing method for controlling an information processing apparatus, the method comprising: a positional information acquiring step of acquiring position information; a current position acquiring step of acquiring current position information of the information processing apparatus by using the acquired positional information; a distance calculating step of calculating a distance, in a real space, between a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in a real space, and a current position acquired in the current position acquiring step; and a process executing step of executing a predetermined process based on the calculated distance, wherein in the process executing step, when a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range of a player satisfies a first condition according to the calculated distance, a predetermined process based on the calculated distance is executed.
 16. A game system including a predetermined game server, and an information processing apparatus communicable with the game server and configured at least to acquire positional information, wherein the game server includes a transmitter configured to transmit information indicating a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in a real space, to the information processing apparatus, according to a request from the information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus includes one or processors configured to at least to provide: a current position acquisition configured to acquire current position information of the information processing apparatus by using the acquired positional information; a target position acquisition configured to acquire, from the game server, information indicating the target position; a distance calculation configured to calculate a distance, in the real space, between the current position acquired by the current position acquisition and the target position acquired by the target position acquisition; and a process execution configured to execute a predetermined process based on the calculated distance, wherein when a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range of a player satisfies a first condition according to the calculated distance, the process execution executes a predetermined process based on the calculated distance.
 17. An information processing apparatus communicable with a predetermined game server and configured at least to acquire positional information, the game server including a transmission interface configured to transmit information indicating a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in a real space, to the information processing apparatus, according to a request from the information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus including one or processors configured to at least to provide: a current position acquisition configured to acquire current position information of the information processing apparatus by using the acquired positional information; a target position acquisition configured to acquire, from the game server, information indicating a target position that is a position corresponding to a predetermined position in the real space; a distance calculation configured to calculate a distance, in the real space, between the current position acquired by the current position acquiring acquisition and the target position acquired by the target position acquisition; and a process execution configured to execute a predetermined process based on the calculated distance, wherein when a parameter value indicating a virtual movement range of a player satisfies a first condition according to the calculated distance, the process execution executes a predetermined process based on the calculated distance.
 18. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein the game program according to claim 1, wherein the game program causing the computer to acquire the positional information using a GPS receiver.
 19. The game system according to claim 16, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a GPS receiver for acquiring the positional information.
 20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a GPS receiver for acquiring the positional information. 